Shikamaru and Temari: Chunin Exams
by spacehamsterfan
Summary: My own take on the chunin exam between Shikamaru and Temari.


**A/N: This is my first story, so please take it easy on me :)**

**This is my own version of the chunin exams, but still following the general course of the manga.  
****I don´t own Naruto or any of the characters, i only like to play with them.**

A small grin stole its way on my face as I watched Naruto jump around in circles in the arena, shouting out to the audience non-stop. Finally he got some of the attention and acceptance that he has been craving for so long. As I looked around the arena I was happy to see that the people seemed genuine in their cheering. No pretense and no fake smiles could be seen. Unconsciously that small grin developed into a full blown smile as I started applauding Naruto as well.

I quickly caught myself before I could show any more enthusiasm, I had a reputation to uphold, but no matter how hard I tried, that small traitorous grin was still etched across my features, unwilling to disappear fully. But a quick look to the left and right reassured me that nobody had noticed my unusual outburst, that was, until I met her eyes.

That was the first thing that I had noticed about her. Her eyes. Those emerald green eyes, which seemed to suck me into their depths every time I dared to look upon them. This time was no different. I was mesmerized and could not find the strength to look away, or to even blink, and for a short moment everything seemed to stand still. Her eyes seemed to burn through all of my defenses and look into the very depths of my soul, and there was nothing that I could possibly do against it. Yet, in this short but endless moment, I felt completely comfortable, and found the sudden urge in me to show her everything that is me.

As quick as the moment came, it was gone again. With a wink she turned away, that sparkle still in her eyes, which could keep me captive forever. With a small smile gracing her features that was so unmistakably Temari.

As soon as she turned away I suddenly felt deprived of something I could not quite name, but I could definitely tell that it was gone. Gone with her attention.

I shook my head as if to clear my thoughts, but it wouldn´t work. My thoughts always wandered back to this mysterious beauty. I tried to focus on what the announcer was saying, but my mind would always drift back off to Temari.

"... and we will begin the next match first!" That immediately snapped me out of my daydreams. I was confused, but of course I wouldn't let that show. In situations like these I always managed to keep my cool and this would be no different.

I turned slightly to Ino, keeping my most bored expression on my face and asked "What is all this fuss about? Why are we skipping a match?"

"Seriously Shikamaru, don´t you ever listen?! Have you been daydreaming again, eh?"

But at the mentioning of my daydreams my thoughts immediately strayed back to a particular blond shinobi. Apparently I looked extremely inattentive, since Ino started to wave in front of my face trying to get my attention.

"Sorry, what?" I tried to ask as innocently as I could.

"Ough! You are... You are... so..." and with that and with a head as red as a tomato Ino stomped off towards Sakura, continuously muttering curses under her breath.

I turned nonchantingly towards Choji on the other side and looked at him expectantly. "They said Sasuke didn´t show up in time and so they are skipping a match, I guess that means you're up soon. I wonder whom you get to fight." Choji managed to get out in-between handfuls of his chips, which he insisted on continuously stuffing into his mouth.

"Ough, what a drag." was all I managed to get out. At this moment I decided that I liked Sasuke a whole lot less, since he didn´t show up, I had to take his place, meaning I would have to actually get up and move from my comfortable position. Besides it was much nice weather to fight. I would much rather go to my spot and watch as the clouds drift by above me, and drift off into a nice and peaceful slumber. I wonder if Temari would like to join me. And so I began to drift off again, only half-heartedly listening to what was being said.

A loud uproar from the crowd jostled me awake once again. I had to blink a few times to get out of my dream like state.

"What is it, what happened now?" I asked, and felt a little anxious when seeing that look on Choji´s face. His brows were furrowed and seemed to scowl in concentration at the scene before us, his chips lying forgotten beside him. That was never a good sign, if Choji ignored his food then something was truly troubling him.

"Kankuro resigned from his fight, and Aburame Shino wins by default." Choji answered with a strain in his voice and that scowl still etched across his features.

I got up from my seat to take a look at what was happening myself, and a scowl began to etch itself across my features as well. What are they planning to do?

What could they possibly gain from resigning from a fight? This doesn't add up. I tried to imagine a game of Shogi, and how all of this would fit in, but I had the feeling that I was missing some vital information. I glanced in Asuma´s direction, but he looked just as confused and uncertain as I felt, so I returned my attention to the speaker.

After the crowd had calmed a bit, he finally continued speaking. "Then the next match will begin. Nara Shikamaru against Temari of the hidden sand."

This sentence, as simple as it sounded, held so many complications. I glanced towards Temari, hoping that some miracle would occur that saves me from this living hell. How could I ever fight against her? How could I ever raise my hand against her, with the intention of bringing harm to her? No. I couldn't do that. I had to find some way around this.

Temari though seemed to be entirely unaffected by the announcement. She even seemed rather eager to get up and fight. All I could do was simply stand and stare as she unfolded her fan and drifted elegantly on it into the arena. I hadn´t even noticed that I was standing there with my mouth wide open, gaping at Temari, until I felt two fingers under my chin, effectively closing my mouth with a loud `snap´!

I quickly turned around to the person these fingers belonged to, and was only mildly surprised when I saw Ino standing right next to me.

„You must have fallen quite badly for her, eh?"

The look of shock on my features seemed to be enough of an answer, even though most of my unsuppressed shock came from insightfulness of her statement, and she continued with a thoughtful "Thought so.".

I still couldn't do anything but stare at Ino and wonder. Since when has she become so empathetic?

"Well now, get a move on! You can´t just stand here all day, you have a match to win!" and with that Ino returned to her usual self, pushing a still shell-shocked me down into the arena, where I had a less than ungraceful landing.

I chanced a glance over to a composed Temari, who viewed me with a sympathetic smile that made my heart melt. In that moment I decided to simply keep on lying here, watching her all day and do anything in my power to keep her smiling.

But my musings were rudely interrupted by a shrieking Ino from above, who couldn't stop yelling at me to get a move on, as if trying to make up for the kindhearted moment only seconds before. I only looked back up at her and tilted my head to the side giving her and amused grin, and couldn´t help but stick my tongue out at her, which only fueled her tirade. In the end it took Asuma Sensei and Choji to remove a fuming Ino from the stands.

I continued to lay there, unmoving, watching as the clouds drifted by. That was what I wanted to do the entire day, so why shouldn't I do it now? But the crowd began to grow restless. They were all awaiting Sasuke's match, but now they had to watch some no-name. At that thought a slight scowl managed to make its way onto my face, and the thought of me being a no-name definitely soured my mood. So why should I even be fighting this match, when no one is expecting anything of it anyway. That would solve my problem with Temari as well, if I wouldn´t have to fight her, there would be no possibility of me hurting her. Yes, this was a good plan.

It was her voice that drew me out of my reverie- " What's this?" she asked in a mocking, and rather quiet tone, but nonetheless her voice cut through the curtain of calls and shouts of the clouds like a razor-sharp dagger, and pierced my ears, making me look in her direction.

"It's just that I don´t fight against girls, and I don´t want to hurt you." I said as emotionless as possible, but scolded myself for these words as soon as they left my mouth. What was that for an excuse? None, and Temari seemed to see right through it.

„So are you going to run as well? Are you just going to lay there and give up?" even though her voice still held the mocking tone, it now contained a rather playful note as well, as though she was daring me to stand up and face her.

That statement hit home. I maybe the laziest of all Shinobi of the hidden leaf, but I would not run away. I would not flinch away from a challenge, and I would definitely and under no circumstances give up. For that is my nindo! My ninja way!

All the sounds around me, which I had simply ignored before, came back and hit me like a tidal wave, and for a moment I had difficulties to orient myself in this chaos of sounds. But amongst this chaos, I could hear my friends cheering me on, and that was all I needed to scramble back onto my feet.

I dragged myself back up on my feet in the clumsiest manner possible, but I was standing again. With renewed determination I looked at my opponent. And that was all I did. I looked at her, once again unable to take off my eyes off of this beauty before me, and it calmed me immensely.

But the opposite seemed to happen to Temari. The longer I stood there and looked at her, the more agitated she seemed to become.

"If you´re not going to attack, I will!" she shouted over the arena, a scowl written on her face. Then without warning she came running towards me preparing her first jutsu. But as she came running towards me, the only thing that I could think of, was how to get that scowl off of her beautiful face and replace it with one of those magnificent smiles that she wore earlier.

I hadn´t even noticed how close she was to me until it was too late. She swung her fan in my direction, and I only had time to hold up my hands to shield my face, before a mighty blast of air hit me and sent me tumbling over the dusty ground of the arena.

I scrambled back onto my feet and composed myself. Now was not the time to be daydreaming! Even though the beginning of the match had been less than optimal for me, that blast of air was exactly what I needed to get back on track.

She came at me again at full speed, determination written all across her face. And although I admired the soft and kind look on her face, this side of her intrigued me just as much.

I took out two of my kunai and readied myself for my next move. I waited for her to be only inches away from me until I decided to move, and that was not a moment to early, for she used her fan to strike at the point where I had been only a heartbeat before. The fan connects with the dirt with an earth shuddering force and the resonating `boom´ that followed spoke volumes behind the strength of the attack.

But just as she had made her move, I had made mine, and as I jumped up in order to evade her attack, I threw the two kunai.

"You are not that good at hitting your target, are you?" the thrill of the fight evident in her voice. "Who said that I was trying to hit you?" I replied in a calm tone. The only response I got was a grunt as she started her next attack.

It was a repeating cycle; she was attacking me with brute force, while I dodged nearly every one of her attacks and threw my kunais, seemingly missing every time. Over time, Temari began to grow more confident of her abilities, and it appeared that she was assuming that she had a relatively easy opponent, since I did nothing but dodge her blows until now.

As she attacked more vigorously, I began to have a few problems of going through with my initial plan. I had to concentrate harder in order to dodge each of her blows, and her constant mocking in her flippant tone was not helping the situation either.

After I failed to dodge another blow she sent me flying across the arena, and I crashed into the hard and dusty soil of the arena. Luckily she threw me into the direction of the only few trees in the entire arena. I used this chance and took off towards the trees as fast as I could, chancing a glance backwards to see that Temari was hot on my heels.

As soon as I reached the trees I slipped into the embrace of the shadows, hoping I was safe here for a while. As though Temari had sensed something, she stayed away from the trees, pacing around them like a lioness waiting to pounce on her prey as soon as it would show itself. I, in the meanwhile climbed up a tree and sat down cross legged, with my hands folded in front of me, and I started to think.

After a few moments I noticed that wind was cursing through the trees with an increasing intensity, and figured that this was Temari trying to get me out of my hiding hole. So I decided to test out my plan, and go on the offensive.

I made my hand signs before I mumbled "Shadow possession jutsu".

As soon as I had uttered these words, my shadow formed into a snake like being and made its way to the waiting lioness. At the surprised shriek, I was sure that Temari had discovered the unnatural form that was coming after her. But my jutsu had its limits, in this case the distance it could travel, without a new shadow. This was where my kunais come in handy, for they were not just randomly thrown about, but rather strategically placed, as it should be expected from a Shogi player like me, I thought rather smugly.

Using my jutsu and the Kunais, I drove her more and more to the other end of the arena, until at one point my shadow wouldn't go any further.

"Hah, is this as far as your jutsu goes? You´ll have to do better if you actually want to beat me!" she yelled out confidently. „Who said I even wanted to beat you?" I asked as I began to walk out of the safety of the trees. "Hah, you´re getting careless! Now there's nothing that you can hide behind!" She was beginning to form her jutsus, when suddenly all her movements came to an abrupt stop.

"What, What is that, what have you done?!" she asked, with a bit of panic evident in her voice. While she had been busy talking, I had extended my jutsu to the whole that Naruto had dug in his earlier match, and which came out just behind Temari, making it easy for me to take control.

"It's called shadow possession jutsu, and right now it restricts any of your movements, until I release you, or will you to move." I explain calmly but also rather smugly as I slowly approach her. But as I come closer, I notice that my chakra reserves are getting low, and realize that I have to end this match quickly.

Just as I come to a stop before her, my reserves fail me and I have to release her from her hold. At the loss of the constriction, Temari sways a little before tipping backwards and falling over, and laying there breathing heavily of exhaustion.

I clench my fists and approach her, then with putting all of my remaining strength in that action, I let my fist come down in the direction of Temari's face. Just before my hand would connect with her stunning face she closes her enthralling eyes and awaits the punch. A punch that will never come.

My fist does connect with something, but it is the ground right next to her beautiful face. She slowly opens her eyes, unsure of what she will see, but the only thing greeting her is a smugly grinning me looking down at her lovingly.

"Told you I wouldn´t harm you." Is all I can get out at that moment, exhaustion evident in my voice. Her only reply is a smile that could melt whole worlds, as she slowly leans up and presses her lips to mine. My heart seems to stop, before it starts beating wildly in my chest, and I start to lose myself in the moment.


End file.
